Silent Expectations
by DevilCuriosity
Summary: In the midst of Spira's impending doom, Yuna is caught between two lovers. Where one is young, naive and passionate, the other is ancient, versed and ambitious. Redemption, she finds, is not something Seymour desires.
1. Intention

There was something amorous in the way he longed for her. It was as if the world revolved around the essence of her being, the beauty of her contour, the hues of her persona. She was high summoner Braska's only daughter: a naive but determined soul. Her eyes lit up at instant sight of hope and her heart beat to its own content. As he became more observant of her presence, his intrigue grew to unimaginable lengths. Seymour never loved another in his life, save his mother. In his lonesome existence, his morbid philosophy of death as the eternal sleep for all had enveloped him into isolation. To think of another's touch upon his skin was far beyond reach, far beyond any real comprehension.

The first time he laid eyes on Yuna was when he got off his maester's ship in Luca, to see the blitzball tournament. Although he was disappointed to see her for only a short while, he was confident of their meeting a second time. It was not until the happenings of Operation Mi'ihen that he finally had a chance to speak and spend what seemed like seconds with the young summoner. After that day, there was something inside him that changed.

Something he could not articulate just yet.

* * *

The sky was cloudy and restless. She walked toward the edge of the cliff and looked out amid the slate sky, pondering thoughts of the operation in hopes of an unforeseen victory. The sound of the ocean breeze below surrounded her senses, and made her feel as if she were the last person in Spira. As she began to worry about the operation, her thoughts faded into the view of the roaring waves below. She stared blankly into the open horizon, as her mind wandered away from Sin's deadly threat and over to the peaceful calm of the water. 

"In such dark times, the peril of Sin seems somehow erased from my memory. It is as though the breezes of the sea bless one with hope."

She was caught by total surprise, as she looked over at the figure that stood beside her. There was a calm reassurance in his presence and even though she was still trying to fathom the thought of anyone coming here at this time and place, he showed no sign of response to her shock. For a maester of Yevon, he was surprisingly cool in his manner of approach, and she could do nothing but stare in curiosity and wonder at him.

He was exceptionally handsome for someone born half Guado, half human. His physique was lean and he stood stall amid everyone in length. His cerulean hair surrounded his masculine contour, and his eyes were the color of the sky, although their depth was immense. There was tragedy in those eyes and it seemed as if she realized some part of that in her mind, as she looked at him. Beside appearance, his nobility, progressive lineage, and mere presence seemed majestic to her. High maesters never walked among common people, not even summoners, but there was something different about Seymour, something strangely mysterious.

As she began to ponder all the curiosities in her head, she suddenly snapped herself out of it and began to think of what he had just said to her. It was intimidating to have him at her attention, especially at this moment in time when she still found herself in confusion at a response.

"I think it is so, your grace. I believe there's hope in this operation and even if it fails... I know the people of Spira tried in their best efforts to destroy Sin. They will not be forgotten."

She quickly averted her eyes to the ground once she realized how long she had been starring at the young maester. Her sight then trailed into the horizon, as she looked back at the pale sky. She did not notice his attention until she began to feel an awkward tension in the silence that enveloped them. She then began to feel his penetrating stare. If it were not for his being a maester, she would have excused herself from this uncomfortable post.

Just as she began to take in a deep breath, he spoke.

"You are Spira's ray of light, Lady Yuna. You should never lose hope of what is set in your heart. At this moment in time, you _are _Spira."

He still kept his eyes to the distant clouds that were in view and it was a while before he turned to look at her. While she stared aimlessly out into the sea again, it seemed as if a light began to fade in her translucent eyes. The reflection of the fading clouds shone the sparkles on her face, and her eyes seemed of the deepest shades of turquoise and indigo. She stood as still as a stone pillar, and let the swift ocean breeze brush past her pearl skin.

He seemed unable to withstand her emotional apprehension in her silence and turned to face her. He looked at her while she still faced the sea, and gently took her hand into his. She suddenly looked at him in question, completely taken back by his actions, but stood still at all costs. He could feel her flinch at his cold touch, but held her hand as gently as possible.

This was not what she expected, and there was something strange about it. She ignored her speculation for the mean time and remained silent, waiting for whatever came next. Then, in a tone barely heard by anyone standing feet away, the maester spoke with encouragement as he stared hard at the young summoner.

"You must not lose your vision for the blessing of another calm again, Yuna. If it be so, then choose your path to inspiration. As did Lady Yunalesca with Lord Zaon."

She looked at him in utter confusion; it seemed a whirlwind of events had occurred before she had the chance to let it all sink in. She blinked twice and attempted to flash out whatever shock was left as she stared into the eyes of the maester. Just as her foggy view came into clear focus, she could see the form of a smile on his face as he looked at her. He seemed confident of something she did not know. What in Spira was he talking about? It was too much to fathom and before she could muster a response, there was still more to it.

In a last attempt to keep her attention, he raised her hand until it was at a distance between his chest and hers and said, "Let _me _be your pillar of strength."

* * *

**Author's Note: **There have been modifications and additions to this story as I begin to build with a new motive, so bare with me as I try and pull something off between Yuna and Seymour. 

Kudos to reviews.

**Disclaimer: **The characters, locations, customs, and anything else pertaining to the game belong to _Square Enix _and everyone who contributed to the making of this great RPG.


	2. Misconception

From the moment she looked into his eyes, he was entranced. For so young a summoner, she was someone that set his soul alight, it seemed. He knew he was missing something in his isolated existence, despite his high stance as a maester of Yevon, but he did not intend to find it anywhere in Spira. He did not intend to find anyone at all. The childhood that he lived through was a severely painful adolescence. After Lord Jyscal forced both his wife and his only son into exile, the events that followed only became worse, each more fatal than the last.

Seymour's mother sacrificed her life and became Anima, and offered the newfound strength to her son. Horrified, he refused the powers of Anima and was left in isolation until his pseudo-sadistic thinking developed, and he realized that death seemed to be the purest remedy for the painful existence in one's anguished life. From that point onward, his plans were resolved. He wanted to give each and every denizen in Spira the rest they must have, instead of living on in pain. He must murder each and every person, and this was the grounding of his philosophy.

His comeback to Guadosalam as maester and high priest of Macalania Temple set his plans off to a desirable start. But it was only then that he found himself caught in the arena of corrupted politics and mixed motives. The time period after he landed the role as maester and high priest, he seemed to almost forget of his philosophical outlook on life. He became confused and decided to temporarily let his passion for his beliefs wane for some while before he would remember again.

Shortly after meeting with Yuna, he was in a state of mixed emotions and thoughts as well. He felt misplaced by her state of purity and innocence, but he was sure that like everyone else, he fell into awe with her determination to complete her journey as a summoner. He fell into admiration for the surprising strength that emanated from someone so unexpected. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wished that she would be the one to stand beside him as his queen, and together rule Spira. But he knew she would object to his idea of death, and he felt strange enough to keep that particular secret to himself. In the meantime, he wanted to speak to her more and come to know her. He wanted something out of her but he was unable to pinpoint exactly what that was.

It would only be a matter of time until he realized what he really wanted.

* * *

"Who does Seymour think he is anyway?" Asked Tidus unnervingly. 

"He is a maester of Yevon. A request to speak with Yuna must be of importance and he might help us further our pilgrimage. You've thought of that, haven't you?" Replied Lulu unenthusiastically.

"But still," said Tidus. "I don't feel too good about all this."

"... Are you jealous?" Smirked Lulu, as she turned to Tidus to get a good look at his expression. Lulu already knew the answer to her question, but needed it confirmed by Tidus himself. He looked at Lulu in confusion and then averted his eyes to the tips of his shoes. Her answer was confirmed indeed.

As she sighed with disapproval, she looked at him like a mother who had just scolded her teenage son for a bad deed. After a moment of thought, she spoke.

"If that's the case, you know well to keep your mouth shut. You are a guardian. You cannot let your emotions lead the way. Is that clear?"

Just as Tidus struggled to deny how fond he became of Yuna, their wait came to an end at last, when Auron stepped out of the temple doors as Yuna steadily followed behind. She had sent hundreds of souls out to the farplane all morning, and Auron watched after her for the remaining hours in which she rested. As Yuna followed Auron, all her guardians began to surround her to make sure she was alright.

Lulu immediately ran to her and held her face to feel her forehead.

"Lulu, I'm fine," Yuna said with a faint smile.

"But you've been sending all night and all morning. Are you sure you're ready to move forward?" Asked Lulu in worry.

The summoner looked around at her teammates.

"I am. But we must first go to Guadosalam. Maester Seymour wants to see me, remember?" All nodded in agreement and began to make their way out of Djose and through the Moonflow.

As they made their way into Guadosalam, Tromell greeted Yuna with high spirits, while he disregarded the rest of her guardianship. Their suspicions rose even higher, because they already held certain assumptions with them, especially Auron. However discreet, the team was somewhat taken back by the bluntness in which he regarded them. As a result, they knew this meant that Seymour had plans solely for Yuna, and no one else.

While they followed Tromell through the red double doors and entered into the lobby, Tromell looked at Yuna with an awkwardly caring stare. After some time of silence, she almost began to speak until he abruptly cut her off.

"Ah, Lady Yuna. It is such a pleasure to have you in our home. My lord is very pleased. You know, he has such an uncanny resemblance to Lord Jyscal. I still cannot believe how high Lord Seymour has become. But I do miss Lord Jyscal very much. Ah, it is a shame of my lord's death. Such a shame."

He then stalked off into the purple double doors and left the guests to wait wonderingly. Yuna turned around and saw that all her guardians had been starring keenly at the interaction between Tromell and her for the past few minutes. Tidus was closest to her, and he looked at her with his arms crossed and a cautious expression on his face, one she had never seen before. Lulu stood in silence, staring at the closed doorway in thought. Wakka busied himself by scratching the back of his neck in worry. Rikku looked at the tips of her shoes, biting her bottom lip in nervousness, unable to meet her cousin's gaze.

As she looked around at all of her guardians in question, Auron began to walk toward her. Since no one else was willing to talk, all were grateful that he was the only one who had the heart to warn Yuna in the matter. The rest of the guardianship moved in closer as he began.

"Yuna, be careful. I doubt Seymour will savor the thought of your guardians sticking beside you everywhere you go. In other words, he might not let us in with you. We can't stop you, but we can advise you. Just be careful," said Auron.

All others looked at each other in resolution and turned to her. Just as she made way to respond to their apprehension and unease, Tromell stepped back into the lobby and asked for her to come inside. She heard his words, but refused to turn around. She still faced her guardians and looked at all of them, and then smiled. In a whisper directed only to the ears of her guardians, her words were clear.

"I'll be careful."

Tidus was on the verge of stopping her, until Auron held him back with a firm fist to the chest. Yuna then made her way, just as the purple double doors closed behind her.

* * *

As she stepped into another lavishly embellished room, Yuna's eyes found Seymour at the far end of a window, looking out into the night sky. After some while, he turned around and smiled serenely at her. There was a strange peacefulness in the room and she felt more relaxed than usual. It was as if the duties of her prophetic future were suddenly swept beneath her and she felt free again. Above all, she felt calmer here than anywhere she had been before. 

As she began to take in the atmosphere, he watched her intently. After a while she looked at him at the far end, and smiled uneasily. She stood in the center of the room, as he slowly approached her. All around was quiet, and not a sound was to be heard.

There were so many thoughts that swirled around inside her. There was something about him that irked her. The last time she touched his hands, she could recall the cold rush of air that amplified through her entire body. It was hard to say whether she expected him to hurt her or simply speak to her. Only a moment ago, she was confident in facing him alone, but now regret seemed to pour over her as she thought of Tidus and his apparent urge to accompany her. She began to wish her guardians were behind her, instead of the deadening silence that now surrounded her senses. She suddenly thought of Tidus and how badly she needed him beside her at this moment. She was not comfortable, and her unease began to build.

The closer he proceeded, the more anxious she became. He looked at her as if she were a jewel cast upon an abandoned shore, waiting to be touched. She looked at him like a lost child, unable to grasp the situation, even though she somehow guessed what would eventually happen. She was almost on the verge of freaking out until he placed a cold hand on her bare shoulder and she shuddered. She was never used to this type of intensity, her emotions could not handle it. Within that moment, she realized how weak she was, and she could not fight off the intoxication of his presence.

He was now only inches away from her. He looked at her, but she was unwilling to look up at him. Her eyes averted to the decorated walls of the massive room instead. After a moment, he began to lean in toward her, until she suddenly stepped back and looked at him, horrified. Even though she could not sense her unexpected source of motivation to suddenly move, she was relieved that she did. She was not as immobile as she thought. Rationale suddenly came back to her. Horror suddenly turned into question. She stood still, eyes suddenly affixed to the maester.

At that moment, he had no idea what to do. He thought she would have given in. His emotions ran haywire but he managed to calm down and recollect himself. He managed to cock a brow in surprise and look at her in curiosity.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, slightly unnerved by her unexpected actions.

"I... I thought there was something you wanted to speak to me about," she said, traces of nervousness still looming inside her.

After a moment, she calmed down and gathered all her bravado to look up at him.

"... I'm sorry, your grace," she said in a formal tone.

She suddenly found herself irritated. Did he simply think she was going to give in that easily? Her guardians were waiting just outside that door. One scream or sign of danger and they would have blown the double doors to dust and get her out of there.

"I... I must leave. I'm sorry," she said, looking around as if searching for something she had misplaced.

Her eyes eventually averted to him, waiting for some sort of response. After a moment nothing came of it, so she turned around and walked toward the door, until she felt a cold hand grab her wrist. She gasped and turned back to face him. He looked at her for a moment, and then gently freed her wrist. He turned back and proceeded toward the window at the far end of the room. Just as he began to walk back, he stopped and turned around to face her in the distance.

"We will meet again, Lady Yuna," he said.

Before she had the opportunity to respond, she decided it was best to get out of there as quick as possible. She inhaled a deep breath, attempting to steady her rapid breathing, while walking briskly toward the exit. When she got there, she slowly opened the double doors and walked back outside.


	3. Choices

While Lulu sat in front of the fire for warmth, Wakka paced to and fro, dribbling a blitzball between hands. Rikku was busy stuffing her mouth with food, while Kimahri watched her unenthusiastically. Auron could be seen in the distance, swinging his sword across thin air.

Yuna stood on the edge of a cliff not too far from camp. She crossed her arms and stared blankly into the dark sky. The air was cold that night in the Calm Lands, and the chilled wind kept biting at her bare arms, but she refused to go back. She wanted to collect herself and at the least, try to relax. She kept thinking and it began to frustrate her. She suddenly felt isolated from everyone because of what happened last night.

Just as she thought of how awkward last night's occurrence had been, she heard footsteps approaching. She slowly turned around to see that it was Tidus. The dim light above reflected the faint smile on his face as he stood beside her.

"Are you alright?" He asked in what almost seemed like a whisper.

It was a long while before she replied to his question. After a moment, she sighed.

"I... don't think I am," she said.

"What do you mea--"

"I don't feel well. I can't relax and feel calm. I... keep thinking about things I don't wanna think about."

He looked at her in curiosity. She looked at him, and her eyes darkened in what looked like nervous apprehension. His look turned into a confused worry, and his eyes pleaded with her to tell him what was wrong.

She suddenly wrapped her arms around him and broke down in a heavy sigh. He could feel her trembling in his hold, almost shaking with utter confusion. Then she started to well up with tears and bury her face in his chest. Even though she said nothing, he somehow understood and after a moment, took her in his arms tightly. He held her close, letting her tears soak up the cloth that covered him. They stood still, until he began to rub her arms for warmth and hold her even tighter because of how cold she felt. After a moment, he slowly drew away from their embrace and removed the stray hair from her face.

"Yuna, what's wrong?" He asked softly, although worry began to elevate in his tone.

She was flushed, and her breathing was heavy.

"Something happened... last night. With Seymour."

Her eyes said it all, but not quite. He looked at her, almost horrified, but then turned his gaze toward the ground in thought, still holding her at a distance. After a moment, he finally broke the silence.

"Damnit." He let his hands fall to his sides.

Her eyes were fixed on him.

"I knew we should've came with you. I knew I should've been by your side."

After a moment, curiosity took the best of him. He was, after all, suspicious of the meeting to begin with.

"Yuna, whatever happened between you and him... are you sure you're alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

She suddenly felt the cold, icy grip of Seymour's hand on her small wrist. The sensation kept flashing into her mind until disappeared entirely. She snapped out of it and looked at Tidus.

"No... nothing like that. He just... it seemed as if he wanted something from me. I was suddenly scared and backed off, and then ran out. I don't know what I was doing. I don't even know what he was doing."

She hung her head low, still thinking about what happened the night before. She was disappointed with her confusion and lack of knowledge of the situation. He kept his eyes on her for the moment.

After spending a year on this journey with her, he had taken the time and the effort to know her. With that knowledge in mind, he also knew how easily another person could have taken advantage of her incredible capacity to love and forgive. She was always there for the world but in return, no one ever truly seemed to be there for her. Despite her guardianship, there was more to Yuna than the summoner role she embraced. She always saw the positive side of everyone, and would always fulfill anyone's favors, if asked.

Thinking about it suddenly sent a wave of emotions surging through him. He clenched his fists at the thought of Seymour's motive to take advantage of one whom he vowed to sacrifice his life for. He began to regret his guardian sense of stupidity the night before. After a moment of silence, he looked at her.

"The next time we see him, you're not going alone, okay? I promised to protect you and stay by your side. That's exactly what I'm gonna do. I don't care what Auron or anyone else says."

Her tears were drying up and she managed to let out a faint smile. His hard expression suddenly softened and turned into a loving grin.

She was exhausted. There was nothing left to say. She stood in the dark, still looking at him. The wind began to blow harder, and the night became colder. While he kept his gaze on her, she could see that he suddenly became quite thoughtful. After a moment, he snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her again.

"You wanna get back to camp? It's freezing out here."

She nodded in agreement, wiping clean the trail of tears that were left on her pale cheeks.

He took her hand and together, both walked back to camp.

* * *

As the party prepared to head out from the sunny plains of the Calm Lands and into the snowy slopes of Mt. Gagazet the next morning, Auron made the announcement that he would catch up with them shortly. 

"I'll be back by the time you're ready to depart for Zanarkand. Count on it," he said. After that, he sped off in the direction of the Macalania Woods and it was the last that was seen of the skilled guardian.

It was no surprise that Seymour murdered his father. It was also of no surprise to the unsent guardian that Seymour had many motives in mind for the future of Spira. The meeting between him and Yuna confirmed Auron's suspicions of the young maester, but he had already known it. It was only a matter of time before he decided enough was enough. He knew someone would have to eventually stop Seymour, and now he realized that it was finally time to do something.

As he made his way into Macalania Temple, Auron decided it was best to warn Seymour of his actions. Both parties were not on friendly terms with each other, and Auron knew more about Seymour than even he himself knew. But Seymour played off an ignorant role, and refused to acknowledge Auron's attitude toward him. Despite all that, it was time to confront Seymour face to face.

The guards at the entrance gate graciously beckoned Auron into the massive ice temple.

"Sir Auron, it is truly an honor," a Guado guard said with a low bow.

Auron nodded with a smile and looked around intuitively.

"I'd like to speak with the maester, if that can be arranged?"

The two guards looked at him, wide-eyed, and then smiled in compliance.

"Of course, please, this way," one said, as he began to lead the way into the inner chamber.

Once inside, the guard silently walked back to his post, leaving Auron alone. The entrance to a second chamber lie just beyond the door opposite of the one the guard exited from. Auron looked around the circular chamber one last time and then proceeded through the new entrance.

As he made his way in, he suddenly saw Seymour appear from behind what looked like the entrance to the cloister of trials, located just across the entrance Auron had proceeded through. The maester closed the portal doors quietly, and stood quite still as Auron scrutinized him with his eyes. Silence began to take reign in the massive chamber, until Seymour sighed and turned around.

"Sir Auron, what an unexpected pleasure. What brings you to Macalania Temple at this time?"

"You know very well why I'm here."

The guardian stood expressionless but resolute, and was cemented to his post on the opposite side of the room.

"I have not a clue as to why you've suddenly interrupted my prayer. What have I done to dissuade you so?"

Seymour seemed genuinely puzzled. During all this time, he had suddenly forgotten of Auron's knowledge with his political agenda. He looked at the guardian in curiosity, still waiting for a response.

"I'll just cut to the chase then," Auron said. "Whatever you did to Yuna that night is still a secret, but it's only a matter of time before the rest of us find out. You shouldn't become too familiar with the role of oblivion in a game like this, Seymour. It'd be a fatal mistake if you still attempt to go forward with your plans."

Auron gave a faint grin as his gaze still remained fixed on the young maester. In response, Seymour smiled knowingly and began walking toward the guardian.

"Rest assured that I no longer need to see my plans accomplished," he said, now inches away from Auron.

"You think a new agenda will make any difference?" The guardian raised his head and looked at his opponent.

There might have been a difference, if the outcome was not what it was now. Although this time around, the motive might have been more adolescent in nature than anything epic with the future of Spira. Seymour had never felt the way he did at this moment in time, and it all boiled down to Yuna. When she ran out that night, he became curious of what he did wrong, seeing as to how he had no experience in the matter. He also realized that all he wanted to do was talk to her, and tell her everything he kept bottled up from the past. He wanted to talk more than anything, and the thought of sharing his post in life with someone began to appeal to him. If he could just see her one more time alone, he would try and redeem his actions from the night before.

But her apparent panic that night had probably showed itself to her guardianship, he was sure. Even though they knew nothing of the specifics, Seymour was now their enemy. What he did not know, however, was the fact that Auron and Tidus were the only ones who knew something went wrong that night. The rest of the guardians remained oblivious and focused on the pilgrimage instead.

Both remained calm and collected as they still fixed their gaze on one another. As Seymour's thoughts began to direct themselves toward Yuna, he had unconsciously averted his gaze past Auron and to the wall. Auron still kept his ground and noticed Seymour's diversion, but remained silent for some time.

His eyes were now glued to the decorated walls on the opposite side of the chamber. Then he suddenly snapped out of it and looked back at Auron, who still looked at him, this time in question.

"There is nothing more I can say to you, Sir Auron. Whether you trust me or not, that, unfortunately, will be something you must deal with yourself."

As he turned around and began to proceed back to the cloister portal, he felt a hard grip on his left shoulder. He stopped.

"It'd be wise to heed my warning, Seymour. Don't go and do anything stupid."

Thoughts of Yuna began to flash back into his mind. Auron had no idea of just how irrelevant his words were to Seymour's true intent, but there was no way to voice a romantic interest to the guardian without sparking a vein of suspicion. That said, there was nothing more Seymour could say without further exacerbating the matter.

The grip loosened and he was set free. He could still feel Auron's eyes penetrate his back. He continued to proceed toward the cloister portal until he stopped in front of it.

"I cannot guarantee it," he said, and slipped through the portal before Auron could say anything else.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I think I'm starting to see Tidus in more of a caring personality than a romantic one, but that doesn't mean there can't be sparks between him and Yuna. As for Seymour, even though he's inexperienced, you can bet his romance will be filled with lust and genuine attraction. 

Also, I really don't like updating with one chapter at a time. I'd rather do it 5/6 chapters at a time, but I'm bombarded with a busy schedule, so I apologize for this awkward method of updating. Once winter rolls around and academia grants one me one sleazy week of break, I'm hoping to have many more chapters up at a time.

Till then, take care and thanks for the reviews.


	4. Reason

Despite the merciless cold of Mt. Gagazet, its natural hot springs brought relief and comfort to the traveling party. The springs were situated on the highest slopes of the massive mountain, and through Kimahri's negotiations with his fellow Ronso, they were granted permission to spend their time there. It was understood that unlike the lean thickness of the Ronso exterior, the skin of humans would end up frost-bitten if they were to stay out in the cold for too long.

Thankful for the gesture of support, Yuna spent as much time as she possibly could bathing in the heated water, relaxing her tense muscles, and enjoying the soothing silence of the mountains. While Tidus, Wakka, and Auron ventured off to test the stability of the path that would eventually lead to Zanarkand, Kimahri stood just outside the entrance to the hot springs, keeping guard of his dear summoner.

"Kimahri?"

She could see the silhouette of the Ronso in the distance. He tilted his head to a side to steer his attention in her direction.

"Where is Rikku and Lulu?"

"Kimahri do not know. Two guardians could be in cave, preparing fire and food."

"Oh, I see," she said, and then paused for a moment. "Do you think they might need any help?"

Silence. She decided to continue.

"I'm fine here. And I don't think anyone can get in. All the paths are sealed, aren't they? You should go and help the others, Kimahri. This is your home and you know it better than we do."

She tried in every sense to sound convincing, without actually insulting the proud Ronso guardian. After another moment of silence, he walked back to the caves and disappeared from view.

She sighed in relaxation and sunk deeper into the spring. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the stone edge that supported her backside, and began to drift into a peaceful sleep. Just as she began to sink deeper into sleep, she saw through her foggy view a figure standing at the far end of the pool.

She waved her hands in midair, attempting to direct the steamy fog elsewhere.

"Kimahri?"

No answer.

She stood silent a moment longer, until she decided to get out of the water. She grabbed the massive piece of cloth that was draped over a stone seat beside the spring, and covered herself in it. As she progressed closer to where the figure stood, the steam began to clear and the cold air began to sink in from the open entrance. She walked past the clearing and suddenly gaped in shock as the figure came into view.

Seymour stood fixed in his post, unwilling to move. He starred at her blankly, while one hand was placed over the side of his abdomen. Her eyes trailed from his face to the spot his hand had covered, and she noticed blood outlining the embellished fabric.

"You're bleeding!" She said in horror, and stepped closer to get a better look.

She directed him to step toward the edge of the steamy water, not only to get warm, but to heal the wound and possibly wash it out. As he sat himself on the marble seat of stone, she began to tear a long section of the cloth that covered her. He looked in wonder as she worked in speedy fashion, sparing not a second to waste. This was not a time for games. His wound continued to bleed and if pressure was not applied, he would end up bleeding to death.

After tearing away the long piece of cloth completely, she looked up at him.

"You'll have to take this off," she held onto the edge of the fabric that covered his upper body, and beckoned for him to remove it.

He slowly unfastened the buttons and let the heavy piece of cloth fall to the ground, exposing his bare skin to the cold air. He did not shudder, nor did he flinch. She removed his blood-stained hand from the wound and immediately wrapped her cloth around his abdomen. Thanks to the thickness and durability of the cloth, the bleeding stopped by the time she finished wrapping. Afterward, she cleansed her stained hands in the water and stood up.

"The hot springs are fueled with clean water. You can wash your hands in it," she said.

As he bent down and began to clean his bloody hands, she could not help but stare at the bare-backed figure that stood in front of her. Because of the panic she found herself in earlier, she was so busy worrying of his wound that she had completely forgotten who she had just helped. And now he was sitting there, half naked, and badly wounded. Before her wonder began to work its magic again, she caught herself starring at him while he still cleaned his hands and refreshed his face in the hot water.

After a moment, he sat upright, using his stained piece of clothing on the ground as a towel to dry himself. Her eyes were now glued to his bare appearance, apparently fixed on the chiseled physique of his upper body. She could see traces of water still trailing down his silky skin, gone unnoticed by him. Never in a thousand years would Yuna envision herself in such a compromising position. She could feel her senses begin to pulsate faster than usual, as the heat rose to her cheeks, causing her to blush in embarrassment. Still, she found it impossible to steer her eyes elsewhere.

She had no idea just how fixated her gaze had been, until he turned and looked at her. She turned crimson when their eyes met, and averted hers to the other side of the pool in humiliation. After recollecting herself, she looked back at him and noticed that something was wrong. It seemed as if he did not gain enough strength to do much of anything, and as he sat there, he could not muster the strength to speak completely.

"I... I'm sorry," he said after a moment of silence.

She looked at the ground in embarrassment, not sure of what to say. He continued.

"The... other night. Yuna, I... I apologize about the other... night."

His eyes were fixed on her, while hers were still trailing the ground between them. After a moment, she looked at him.

"It's okay," she said quietly, eyes finding a trail to the ground again. "How is your wound?" She asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Better than ever," he replied with a smile. "I would've... died in these mountains, if it weren't for you. Thank you," he said sincerely.

She smiled faintly, glad to be of help. She suddenly felt the blissful warmth of the springs come to life again. The atmosphere cleared and sense came back to her. After a moment, she wanted to satisfy her curiosity and discover the reason for such a wound, but seeing as to how his breathing was still coarse, she decided that it would be wise to allow for him to rest.

As he sat there, starring blankly into the steamy water, she felt a pang of guilt surge through her. If anything, he seemed more human to her in this moment than she had ever perceived for him to be. As she thought of how she ran out in a panic that night, she shook her head in mild disapproval. He never meant to hurt her, and something inside her changed as she looked at him. Maybe it was time to start over. Maybe it was time she stop judging him from what the rest of Spira seemed to think. Then again, just because they were on the summit of the sacred mountain of the Ronso, it did not change anything. Seymour was still a maester and a high priest. She was still a summoner, and her journey was not over.

As she shook herself out of thinking, her eyes were still on him.

"You should rest, maester," she said.

"Please, call me Seymour," he said wearily.

Before he had the chance to say anything else, he suddenly collapsed. Yuna plunged in to catch him, right before he hit the stone ground.


	5. Chances

"What do you mean you don't know?" He asked, anger beginning to rise in his tone. "You're telling me that you left her alone up there?"

Everyone looked at Tidus, wide-eyed, surprised at his sudden change of attitude.

Kimahri stood with his arms crossed in silent meditation, ignoring his fellow guardian's question.

"Answer me!" Tidus yelled.

The Ronso began to growl under his breath. Tidus glared at him, his patience depleting by the second. Kimahri still had his eyes closed, refusing to look at him. The rest of the guardians stood around them in utter silence, waiting for the next remark.

Rikku suddenly stepped forward and looked at Tidus.

"What's the matter with you? Kimahri didn't do anything wrong. No one can get up to that summit, okay?"

Tidus' eyes were still glued to Kimahri.

"It doesn't matter how safe the place is. I'm her guardian, I'm supposed to be by her side at all times! There's no way I'm gonna risk leaving her alone, especially after--"

He silenced himself and kept his eyes on the blue feline. After a moment, he looked around and then dashed out of the cave. Rikku immediately ran after him, fearful that his apparent anger might lead to something rash.

"Tidus, WAIT!" She screamed.

He stopped and caught his breath.

"What's gotten into you?"

"As she gets closer to Zanarkand, it gets more serious."

He lifted his head up and breathed in a puff of cold air. The light chill cooled his senses down. Rikku looked at the figure whose back still faced her. After a moment, he continued.

"I... I don't even know how to save her, now that we're this close to Sin. It's like everything I've said means nothing. I can't even change fate. I have no idea where to start. The only thing I know I can do is to protect her. Even if... even if it means one of us will disappear."

He clenched his fists in bitter realization and turned around to finally face Rikku. She starred at him in thought as a deadening silence began to consume the atmosphere. After a moment, she steered her eyes to the snowy ground. Then she looked back up at him.

"No," she said. "Don't you see? We can't give up, now that we're this close. Yuna needs us. She needs you. I know you love her, Tidus. I love her too. I... I can't lose her. I just can't."

Both stood still, looking at each other contemplatively.

"I need to be with her. Every second of every day. Rikku, I've... fallen for her. To lose her to Sin would be fair to no one."

It was a while before she replied to this remark. Her attention suddenly steered back to what he said earlier.

"What did you mean by one of you disappearing?"

He figured that if there was any time to tell Rikku of what he knew, it was now. There was nothing left to lose, and she deserved to know the truth.

"Auron told me the fayth would disappear once Yuna did the final summoning. And everything they've dreamt will disappear with them, including me. I'm... just a dream, Rikku. I'm not even real."

He looked at her, eyes untouched by fear but filled with a longing sadness. It was a while before either spoke. His words seemed to echo through the airy mountains, leaving Rikku speechless and thoughtful.

"NO!" She yelled in sudden disagreement. "You can't disappear! We're supposed to save Yuna, no one's supposed to disappear!"

He could almost hear traces of anger rise in her voice. For the first time, Rikku was pissed. It was a while before she spoke again.

"We don't even know what will really happen," she said with a sigh. She seemed to cool down just as quickly as she flared up.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"No one can tell the future. I don't believe it. I choose not to. It doesn't matter what happens now. What matters is that we save Yuna. What do you say?"

"Rikku, I--"

"Don't tell me you don't know what to do. It could be right under our fingertips. We need to start thinking fast, before something happens and we live to regret it."

She was right, but he still found himself in apprehension. He looked at her with a questioning stare, still waiting for the rest of her thoughts. She looked back at him and began to urge his spirits.

"If you love her, you'll figure out a way. It doesn't matter how close we are, what matters is that we save her. Don't you think that's important?"

He looked away without an answer. His thoughts strayed off and she decided to continue.

"You know, I thought I was the only one who knew you had a thing for Yunie. Until _you _didn't know just how obvious it became to the rest of the guardians. I bet you didn't know that, did you?"

He suddenly blinked twice and looked at her. She smiled, knowing well that she brought him back from whatever thought he drifted off into.

"Are you serious?"

"Mmm hmm," she nodded. "It's strange, because they seem to accept it."

He reflected on what Rikku said for a brief moment, and then looked up at her.

"Then I guess it doesn't matter now. I've gotta come up with a plan to save her."

"Huh?" She looked at him, puzzled.

She was caught by surprise, thinking Tidus would flip at the thought of Lulu and Kimahri knowing of his feelings for Yuna. Instead, he almost seemed liberated by it. He looked at her, waiting for a better response than the one she had just uttered. She looked back at him, shaking the surprise out of herself and smiled.

"Right. Let's go back and start planning!"

He let out a faint smile and complied with the idea.

As both guardians walked back to the cave in a new light of hope, they had completely forgotten their summoner was still atop the summit in the Gagazet springs.

* * *

"Wait on my cue before you jump in. But if something goes wrong, you'd better jump in ahead of me, or you'll be sorry. Is that clear?" 

The Bevelle guard nodded in command and remained silent, standing alongside Kinoc, awaiting their target. No distinct sound was to be heard in the Gagazet mountains, save the howling wind. After a moment, they sharpened their senses as they heard the sudden sound of movement progress in their direction.

As he rounded the corner, he came into the view of his perpetrators. The Bevelle guard leaped out of the overshadowed crevice and barred Seymour's path. The Guado maester might have been surprised to get attacked this far into the mountain trail, but he did not come unprepared. He readied himself for battle in an instant.

Although the guard was covered in black, Seymour noticed the symbols of Yevon sealed across the boots of the attacker. Before he had the time to conspire theories, the guard thrashed toward him with his sword. Seymour moved within seconds from the sharp blade and casted a speedy firaga spell on his opponent, slowing down any chances of escape. The spell hit the opponent's lower leg, which burst open in crimson blood and ripped veins. However strong the spell was for a first blow, it was not enough.

Just as the blazing flames shut out, the snowy ground was covered in blood and ripped flesh, but the guard was no longer in sight. For one who had lost a lower portion of his leg, this was no ordinary fighter. Seymour looked all around him and before he knew it, his acute sense of perception picked up the sound of movement in the knick of time. He turned around just as the guard dived in with another quick attack, dodging the shining blade by a couple of centimeters.

"He's not slowing down," said Kinoc in observation of his fellow maester. "But he will soon. You're not fighting a one-on-one battle, my boy."

As the guard managed to sustain many of Seymour's spells, Kinoc rummaged through his stock of magic and combined three elements to successfully create what he wanted. Pearl Warp was the spell, and the effect of it would distort the immediate surrounding, displacing the opponent's entire sense of perception, leaving him dangerously vulnerable to outside attacks.

Seymour was sure to have finished his opponent after the casting of his powerful meteora spell, but the area suddenly became dense with a thick fog, and he was unable to see or hear anything. Kinoc quickly casted his spell right when Seymour came into view, but before Seymour had the time to grasp the situation, a shimmering metal blade suddenly pierced into his abdomen. He caught his breath and let out a forced gasp, quickly pulling the blade out of his skin, now plastered with a slew of dark blood.

As he looked at the reddened palm of his hand, his senses returned and he noticed the silent surrounding. Within an instant, the atmosphere suddenly cleared and no trace of the attacker was to be found. He looked around frantically, but no trace of blood was left on the snowy ground either. Whoever it was that attacked Seymour had disappeared, and left no evidence of there ever being a battle.

After a moment of scrutinizing the scene, he realized whoever was there before was gone from the summit at this point. He decided that it was best to seek refuge elsewhere, so he struggled up the path that led into the hot springs, hoping to find any means to survive the penetrating wound.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And now we know what happened to Seymour. Tidus seems to be caught up in saving Yuna, so I hope he doesn't do anything rash. Rikku's rarely ever the voice of reason, so this was a good chance for her to prove you wrong. And that damned Kinoc. I never liked him. 

The last chapter was rather short, but it's definitely a start to the plot. And I had to include some physical attraction bit in there, because Seymour's got a great physique.

A reviewer mentioned that there's no coherent plot to this story, but I'm working towards it and it'll piece together in time. Trust me, will ya? In the meantime, continuing thanks to your reviews.


	6. Secrets

It was only a little while before Tidus began to feel restless and uneasy of leaving Yuna at the hot springs in the snowy Gagazet mountains. Despite Rikku's promising hopes of saving her cousin, Tidus came to the doubtful conclusion that they were going in circles with the idea. The subject of saving Yuna from her predicted end was always the first priority on his list, but saving his summoner and protecting her went hand in hand. He also kept in mind what happened a couple nights ago at the Calm Lands, when Yuna finally broke down in front of him, making him realize how much pressure was placed on her. He understood the need for her to relax and have her own time, but there was no way he could risk it this far into everything. It seemed as they all got closer to Zanarkand, the world was becoming a more dangerous place and somewhere in that chaos, Yuna was always a target.

Tidus sat on the cold stone floor of the Gagazet cave, plopped right in front of the fire. It seemed his restlessness and insecurity about Yuna being alone met no end. He stood up and began pacing back and forth in front of the fire with his hands above his head, thinking harder on the matter.

"What has gotten into him?" Asked Lulu, fascinated and worried about Tidus' sudden change of attitude lately.

"Maybe he's got a point," Wakka began, looking at the figure across the fire, pacing to and fro. "As we get closer to Sin, we need to protect Yuna a bit more each step of the way, ya? We can't afford to let something happen to her this far into it."

He tossed a blitzball between hands and rested his eyes on its motion. Lulu still had her eyes on Tidus, thinking of Wakka's most recent remark.

"I've been thinking about that all day and regrettably, I agree with you," she said after a moment. "You know, it might be a good idea if--"

"I'm going to the springs," said Tidus aloud, breaking the hushed voices of his two fellow guardians.

Wakka suddenly stood up and looked at him across the fire.

"You're not going alone. We gotta stick together," he declared, smiling as if he understood everything Tidus had been thinking of, and that no explanation was needed.

"Lulu, tell everyone we'll be back as soon as we can," said Tidus rather seriously, his mood still uneasy and restless.

He had no time to explain his sudden sense of urgency and he certainly had no time to wait around for the other guardians to return from their hunting. Time was of the essence and somewhere deep inside him, he knew it was never a good idea to let Yuna stay alone at the hot springs in the first place. Every time he began to think of how wrong it was of Kimahri to leave her like that, he swallowed the lump in his throat and sought to take action instead.

"Are you sure everything is alright?" Asked Lulu, concern rising in her tone.

"Something just doesn't feel right. But I think Wakka and I will be fine. Just make sure you tell everyone where we are," responded Tidus as he walked out of the cave entrance, Wakka following beside him.

"I will," said Lulu quietly, hoping for a safe return.

* * *

The onset of the afternoon had bought a decrease in temperature in the mountains, but the environment in the hot springs remained misty and warm. It had only been half an hour since Seymour collapsed, which meant that Yuna had been at the hot springs for about an hour.

She lay him near the edge of the water, and used the robe that once covered him as a cushion for his head to rest on. She watched him as he slept soundly, still somewhat unconscious. The string of thick cloth that was used to wrap around his torso had now stopped the bleeding. Using what knowledge she learned of healing wounds, she concluded that with proper rest, he would recover healthy in no time.

While her eyes lingered across the figure on the ground, she could not stop herself from thinking of all the worst possible scenarios in this seeming situation. As much as she tried not to amplify its significance, the fact that Seymour Guado was in the vicinity of Summoner Yuna was enough to cause a catastrophe of sorts. To add onto that, the incident of her running out the way she did only made her more embarrassed to be around him. Topping it all was how sympathetic she suddenly felt for Seymour. She remembered his apology right before he collapsed, and thought about how sincere he was. She wanted to come to the conclusion that the maester might have been harmless, but she still found herself skeptical about it.

After a long trail of thoughts, she stood up and made her way to the opposite side of the springs. As she slowly began to undo a portion of the cloth that wrapped itself around her, she looked across at the silhouette that lay on the ground, still deep in slumber. After making sure Seymour was indeed asleep, she quickly bent over the steamy water to rinse the stained portion of the cloth, scrubbing it clean of blood and dirt. She stood up afterward, wrapping the thick Ronso fabric around herself again, and made her way back to the stone bench beside the sleeping maester.

It was a while before he opened his eyes at the pale sky, still dazed and recovering. She looked at him, curious to see what he would do, all the while keeping an eye on his wound. He struggled to sit himself up but suddenly gasped once he realized what had happened. He almost hit the ground before Yuna ran over to him and quickly wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him steady. He looked up, surprised to see her face, and let out a faint smile.

She directed him to move back and lean on the slab of marble located right behind him, so that he could sit up and she could check the state of his recovery. He looked at her as she placed a warm hand over one side of his exposed torso, examining the state of the wound.

"I don't think your wound is healed yet. You still need rest," she said after a moment. She looked up at him and smiled, not sure of what else to say. Her hand still rested peacefully on his torso until she noticed and removed it. She retreated back to the seat of stone she sat on earlier and looked at Seymour, readying herself for whatever it was he wanted to say.

"I... remembered what happened," Seymour said breathlessly.

She looked at him, concerned for his short breath, but curious about the cause of his wound in the first place.

"It was... a guard. From Bevelle. I'm... sure of it," he said, still struggling in between breaths. He looked up at her.

She said nothing, but thought of everything. What was a Bevelle guard doing in Gagazet? Moreover, what was a Bevelle guard doing attacking a maester of Yevon, his own superior? She would have thrown these questions out, but she guessed that Seymour was not completely innocent in the matter and did not want to cause any strife. Besides, it was risky for his health at this point to let him talk and lose so much breath.

She almost uttered a response when she heard heavy footsteps dash through the entrance and into the springs. Her heart stopped as she looked at Seymour and froze.

"YUNA!"

Tidus ran into the springs and stopped dead in his tracks, eyes flashing from Seymour to Yuna in utter confusion. Wakka caught up from behind and gaped in shock as his eyes scanned the scene and saw what was there.

It also did not help that Seymour was half naked, while Yuna sat across from him and wore nothing but a cloth around herself. The situation was nothing like its deceitful, physical facade, and Yuna knew how much explaining she would have to do for it later on. For now, though, there was an immediate need of explanation if she wanted to save a nasty fight from ensuing.

"What the hell's going on?" Tidus directed at Seymour, anger rising in his tone. Seymour looked at him, unable to properly carry enough strength to speak.

"N-No, it's not what you think," said Yuna eagerly, walking over to Tidus and attempting to maintain eye contact. He immediately locked his attention on Yuna now, his anger suddenly dissolving into genuine concern and fear as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?"

"Nothing happened," she said calmly. "He was badly hurt so I healed his wound and--"

"Yuna, you know better than to tell Kimahri to leave," Wakka said in a low tone of voice, which meant he was worried. "What if something happened to you? Gagazet's got rough weather and you shouldn't be out alone like that, ya? You're always entitled to your own time, but these are dangerous places and--"

"I think she gets the point, Wakka," said Tidus, attempting to hide a faint smile as he still looked at her, his anger ebbing away by the second. He then gave in and smiled at Yuna like he always used to do whenever he had a joke up his sleeve or shared a funny secret with her about something.

She knew Tidus would understand. He always did, so long as he knew she was safe. She sighed, actually relieved to see her guardians and then turned to Wakka, still smiling.

"I'm sorry, Wakka. I won't do something like that again. It was stupid," she said easily.

Then she turned around and averted her eyes back to Seymour, who was on the ground and still had to rest in order to recover. Tidus and Wakka steered their attention in his direction, not entirely sure of what to say to someone they never trusted in the first place.

"He still needs to rest. He hasn't had enough time to heal," she said with concern.

"Something tells me Kimahri won't be too happy about this," said Wakka. "So I think you'd better try contacting Bevelle to take him back."

Tidus looked long and hard at Seymour, noticing how badly wounded he was and thinking about the situation altogether.

"We can help get you outta here, but you better not have something up your sleeve," said Tidus suspiciously after a moment of thought.

Yuna ran over to Seymour and kneeled down to speak to him.

"Maybe he can go back home, to Guadosalam," she said as she looked at Seymour and took into consideration what he told her about the Bevelle guard. "Tromell can send someone to come and pick you up, right?"

It was only a moment after Seymour nodded and smiled at Yuna that he began to lose sight of his surroundings and drifted off into unconsciousness. Tidus, Wakka, and Yuna made arrangements to have Seymour back at Guadosalam before nightfall and made sure that he would go no further than the hot springs. It was in the best interests of everyone that this incident be kept as quiet as possible. Besides, a Guado had no place in the Gagazet mountains of the Ronso while strife was still fresh between the two races.

* * *

**Author's Note: **For those of you who read this fic recently, you'll notice that I completely replaced this chapter. The reason for that is because I just didn't feel as if the old version of the chapter was consistent with everything else that's going on in the story. I was moving too fast. So I wrote up a new one and I'm feeling good about how it turned out. I know I can definitely continue onward from here.

Your reviews keep this going and I love 'em. Thanks.


	7. Detour

Their walk back to the caves was a quiet one. After making sure Tromell arrived and escorted Seymour out of Gagazet and back into Guadosalam, the summoner and her two guardians treaded through the snowy ground, making sure not to step in any icy puddles. The air was heavy with thought; there was not much to say now that the problem was settled. Tidus remained quiet most of the way back until he noticed Wakka's uncomfortable fidgeting. All the silence and cold wind was getting to him and if someone did not speak up soon, he would have to break the thick air with a stupid comment. He wanted to tell Yuna how careful she needed to be next time but he figured she had had enough confrontation already.

Yuna suddenly stopped in her tracks as Wakka moved along without noticing until he felt Tidus' hand pull back his right arm. Tidus waited patiently until she looked up at them, a thoughtfully confused look splattered across her face.

"I'm worried about Seymour," she said after a moment. Tidus crinkled his brow in surprise and then walked up to where she stood, taking her hand.

"I'm sure he's okay," he said somewhat reassuringly, brushing off the annoyance of Seymour altogether. After looking at an injured maester and realizing he was not as powerful as he seemed, he pitied the Guado. "But what I don't get is... why would someone jump at a maester of Yevon like that? I know Spira hates the guy, but an attack that serious has to mean something." He looked back at Wakka, who appeared deep in thought. Both Yuna and Tidus looked at the blitzball captain until he shook his head slowly, a look of concern replacing his once smiling visage.

"You wouldn't believe the amount of corruption that goes on in Spira at this moment, ya. I'm a believer in all things Yevon but sometimes, even I can see the loopholes. People would do just about anything for fame, ya." He was rather disappointed at his own observations, realizing how horrible the state of his world had suddenly gotten. "And maybe it's time I say that I can't stand around and leave this in the hands of Yevon. I've gotta fight it."

"Whoa there, Wakka," Tidus said jokingly. "And did you just flame Yevon? I've gotta tell Rikku about this!" The Zanarkand Abe was rather enthusiastic until Yuna cut the excitement short.

"Or the corruption could be within Bevelle's walls," she interrupted, hitting everyone with the subject at hand. The two guardians looked at her, astonished by her words but at the same time begging for a lengthy explanation. "Seymour told me that he was sure the attacker belonged to the guard of Bevelle, but... how can Bevelle do this? Who would do such a thing?" She hit a stream of ideas and opinions that could have flowed endlessly if the bitter cold did not bite them as hard as it did now. Tidus was obviously the first one to notice and offered an alternative before discussing the topic any further.

"Uh, before we get into this, I suggest we get back to camp, or else we'll freeze out here." He yanked her hand lightly and beckoned her to start moving. Wakka nodded in silent agreement and started ahead of the two, leading the way back to the caves.

They made their way further up the mountainside, silent and concentrated. Tidus' hand still clasped onto Yuna's tightly as he walked beside her, both keeping as steady a pace as possible. After fifteen minutes of climbing, the two looked up and saw Wakka waving his hands triumphantly.

"Home at last! Let's go, you two!" He disappeared into the caves a second after.

"Hey," Yuna said suddenly, stopping Tidus at the entrance. As usual, his eyes rested on her, intent and expecting. She looked at him and smiled uneasily.

"Do you think there's any way we can go back to Guadosalam?" She asked. His mind went blank for a moment, forcing him to speak on impulse.

"Well, you're the summoner. It's your call." He turned after a moment and steered his eyes to the stone floor, realizing what he just said. He shook his head disapprovingly and turned back to face her. "... I'm sorry, Yuna," he said. "I just don't think anyone would agree to the idea of going back to Guadosalam, especially since we've gone this far. But what I said before is still true -- this is up to you. If you wanna go back to Guadosalam, we'll follow your lead." He smiled faintly at her, not sure of what he had just encouraged.

"I just need to find out what's really going on in Bevelle," she said.

"What is it? " He looked at her earnestly, hoping she would express her thoughts and open up to him.

"It's just... I just need to go back," she said flatly, unable to meet his eyes, knowing that she did it again. She pushed him away like she always did and she knew it hurt him.

Moments of silence passed as the two figures stood in the snow, contemplative and unsure of themselves. As usual, though, Tidus was never one to let awkward moments last, no matter how painful or humiliating they were. He cleared his throat and took a step toward her.

"I'd say that you'd better have a lengthy explanation for going back like this, unless you want Lulu to flip and then kill me for encouraging you." He smiled the way he always did with her, the smile which signified a white flag of forgiveness and continued support. He also smiled at the thought of the black mage becoming infuriated with the idea of treading all the way back to Guadosalam.

Thus, Yuna's decision to go back was granted. She nodded and beckoned for him to head into the cave as she prepared to propose the idea to the rest of the guardianship, hoping for an acceptance.

* * *

The news of Seymour's untimely visit inevitably broke out when she rose the next morning. Wakka poured all the details onto the rest of the guardianship and threw in the question of returning to Guadosalam while he was at it, seeing as to how Tidus nudged him to do so the night before. 

Lulu looked around, first at a clueless Rikku and then at a concentrated Kimahri. She looked over at Tidus and Yuna, and then steered her piercing gaze back at Wakka, determined to see if this was his idea.

"Wakka, what makes you so certain that Seymour would appreciate our help? The last time we were there, we were treated rather... rudely." She was picking out her black braids while she looked at the blitzball captain inquisitively. Yuna and Tidus looked at her, trying their best to figure out her exact meaning. As Wakka struggled with a response to her question, she sighed.

"There's not much I can do to stop you. What I can do, however, is tell you the reality of the situation," Lulu said, turning her head in the direction of the summoner. "If Yuna thinks it's absolutely necessary to go back, then we have to know ahead of time in order to gather all our belongings." They all casted surprised glances at each other, making sure everyone was on the same turf.

"So we're going back to Guadosalam then?" Rikku asked, just to be sure. Yuna nodded with a faint smile, turning to Lulu all the same.

"Auron!" Shouted Wakka, eyes wide and mouth agape. Everyone immediately turned around to see the figure that stood in the frame of the cave entrance, clad in his signature leather coat and black boots. Rikku ran up to him and pushed herself forward, examining his face to be sure it was their fellow guardian.

"What took you so long? And what were you doing?" She grew more curious by the second. Auron smiled and walked over to the fire where everyone sat, placing himself beside Lulu. Rikku now stood herself next to an upright Kimahri, crossing her arms and waiting for an explanation.

As he sat himself down with a huff, he flashed Yuna a glance -- his way of letting her know everything was all right on his part. He looked around the fire and finally starred into the flames before uttering his words.

"I had some business in Macalania. I decided to head back to Guadosalam to check up on the state of things." The legendary guardian kept his gaze steady to the fire while everyone else began to shift around, not sure of how to break the latest events to him. Lulu was the only one who sat still, watching Auron closely.

"What kept you so long?" She asked after a moment, her expression one of genuine concern.

"Seymour is missing," he said stoutly. "I came to see him a few days ago but when I arrived at his manor, he was nowhere to be found."

"That's because he was with us half the time," interrupted Tidus. Auron fixed his eyes on him, waiting for the rest of it.

"Someone from Bevelle attacked Seymour and I healed him just in time. We sent him back to Guadosalam before any of the Ronso found out, save Kimahri," explained Yuna to the best of her ability.

"Yeah, the guy's a wreck. He ran into Yuna while she was up in the hot springs," remarked Tidus unnervingly. "But I wonder who did this. I'd like to find out who's working on the inside," he said.

"It's no surprise that someone inside Bevelle would attack one of Yevon's maesters," said Auron reflectively. "The level of corruption within Yevon's walls is almost immeasurable." Wakka crossed his arms and fidgeted uncomfortably. Everyone else sat by the fire, silent and thoughtful. Auron was as calm as ever despite his initial shock of Seymour's appearance in Gagazet.

"So what do we do?" Rikku asked after a moment, looking around for answers. Moments passed before the thick silence had begun to take reign.

"Let's go back to Seymour's place and see what's going on!" Tidus exclaimed energetically, forcing everyone to suddenly turn and look his way. Auron nodded at the thought and stood up. Everyone followed suit just as he approached Yuna.

"Are you ready?" He looked sharply at her, making sure she was honest with him. She nodded as the team gathered their belongings and prepared to leave the Gagazet for the home of the Guado.

The pilgrimage aside, Auron would have thought the idea of venturing back was foolish if it were not for his unanswered questions about Seymour. After his confrontation with the maester he wanted to speak to him one last time yet when he arrived, Seymour was nowhere to be found. Even stranger is his abrupt appearance at Gagazet and his encounter with Yuna. To add to it, the alleged attack from Bevelle is a new fact that goes against Auron's original judgment of the young maester. All of this summed up to an ordeal the guardian would have to think about on the way back and in doing so, figure out Seymour's true intentions.

* * *

**Author's Note:** IMSOSORRY! It's been, what, four months? A lot has happened and just this past weekend, I had the chance to meet the Phelps twins and Justin Hartley! I'm still so excited. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. There's more to come, I promise. No matter how long I lag, I'll put something up... I've got no intention to ditch this anytime soon.

A zillion thanks for reading and supporting. :)


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